Walajabad Sampath, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, peers through a window in the door of one of his machines. He inventeda machine that gave birth to Abound Solar, which has a factory in Longmont that employs more than 300 people.

FORT COLLINS, CO-- JUNE 28TH 2010-- CSU grad student Kevin Walters fiddles with the innards of the (unofficially called) Advanced Deposition Research System for Photovoltaic Materials in a lab at CSU's main engineering research center, the Daryl B. Simons Building. Associate professor of mechanical engineering Walajabad Sampath has been working on this specific project in the development of solar technologies since 1991. "This will be by far the best way to produce energy." Sampath Said. Leah Millis, The Denver Post

FORT COLLINS, CO-- JUNE 28TH 2010-- CSU grad student Kevin Walters applies vacuum sealant to the doors of the (unofficially called) Advanced Deposition Research System for Photovoltaic Materials in a lab at CSU's main engineering research center, the Daryl B. Simons Building. Associate professor of mechanical engineering Walajabad Sampath has been working on this specific project in the development of solar technologies since 1991. "This will be by far the best way to produce energy." Sampath Said. Leah Millis, The Denver Post

Walajabad Sampath has invented a new machine. Sampath’s last machine turned into Abound Solar Inc., which with $150 million in venture capital built a solar-panel factory in Longmont that employs more than 300 people.

So what’s the Colorado State University mechanical-engineering professor up to now?

“The question now is: How can you make a more-efficient solar cell?” Sampath said.

The new machine — if Sampath can get it to work — could ultimately double or triple the efficiency of the solar panels Abound is turning out.

Abound takes a piece of ordinary glass and lays down thin film of cadmium telluride. This thin-film solar cell can be made quicker and cheaper than a traditional silicon cell.

The top silicon cell, however, converts more than 20 percent of solar energy into electricity. Thin-film cells turn 10 percent or 11 percent of sunlight into power.

The way Sampath plans to boost thin-film efficiency is by adding extra layers of cadmium, magnesium and tellurium and enhancing the efficiency of existing layers.

And that’s what Sampath’s new machine does.

Abound’s production line uses a heat treatment to affix the thin film to the glass.

The new machine adds a plasma power supply to create unique thin-film layers and a vapor feed to add additional materials.

It also adds additional bays to Abound’s straight production line so glass can be treated in various ways and then placed back on the line.

“It’s more complex, and then it gets more complex and more complex,” Sampath said. “It is the nature of the beast.”

Complex, but for Sampath it must also be commercially scalable.

“Research is nice, but manufacturing is the key,” he said.

And so, at the same time he is tinkering with his new machine, Sampath has also been tapped to lead a new $2.5 million solar research-and-development center — a partnership between CSU and industry.

Efficiency is key for a startup company such as Abound, said Harin Ullal, a senior analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden.

“Efficiency is a strong driver in cutting costs,” Ullal said.

The biggest thin-film solar-panel maker is First Solar Inc., which has squeezed its manufacturing cost to 81 cents a watt, Ullal said.

Tempe, Ariz.-based First Solar has factories around the globe and a stock-market value of $10 billion.

Abound’s goal is to bring its costs below $1 a watt as it ramps up production, chief executive Tom Tiler has said.

A customer dining at Washington’s Oceanaire restaurant noticed an unusual line at the bottom of his receipt: “Due to the rising costs of doing business in this location, including costs associated with higher minimum wage rates, a 3% surcharge has been added to your total bill.”